SnapPhonics

kiteboard

Pronouncedkiteboard

/ˈkaɪt.bɔːrd/noun
  1. nounA board you stand on and hold with a big kite to move across water.

  2. verbTo ride across water while holding onto a kite attached to a board.

Save to your word list — create a free account

Syllables

kiteboard

2 syllables

Letters

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

k

Phonics Rule: Letter K

Sound“k”·/k/

The letter K makes the /k/ sound, like in 'kite', 'kit', and 'king'.

K always makes the /k/ sound. It is used before E, I, and Y where C would make an /s/ sound instead. K is silent before N at the start of a word (knife, know).

Tip

K is for kite — and kite starts with /k/!

Examples

Sound“eye”·/aɪ/

When I is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the I says its name “eye” — like in 'hi' and 'fi-nal'.

This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves it 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone I at the end of a syllable says “eye” (hi, si-lent). The I also says its long name before two consonants in the 'ind' and 'ild' families (find, kind, child, mild). The long I sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (bike) or igh (night) — but those are not open syllables.

Tip

Long I says its name — I!

Examples

t

Phonics Rule: Letter T

Sound“t”·/t/

The letter T makes the /t/ sound, like in 'top', 'tap', and 'ten'. The tongue tip taps behind the upper teeth.

T is a voiceless alveolar stop. The tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth and releases with a puff of air. Double T (tt) makes the same /t/ sound.

Tip

T taps — touch your tongue to make /t/!

Examples

e

Phonics Rule: Short E

Sound“eh”·/ɛ/

The letter E makes a short sound, like in 'bed' and 'red'.

When the letter E appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short E sound “eh”. This is often confused with short I by new readers.

Tip

E says “eh” like an egg on your head.

Examples

b

Phonics Rule: Letter B

Sound“b”·/b/

The letter B makes the /b/ sound, like in 'bat', 'big', and 'bug'. Both lips press together then release.

B is a voiced bilabial stop — both lips press together and release with voice. It always makes the /b/ sound except when silent at the end of words after m (as in 'lamb' or 'comb').

Tip

B looks like a bat — and bat starts with /b/!

Examples

oar

Phonics Rule: OAR says “or”

Sound“or”·/ɔːr/

OAR makes the “or” sound, like in 'oar', 'board', and 'roar'.

OAR is an r-controlled team saying “or” (the 'or' sound): oar, board, roar, soar, coarse.

Tip

Row the oar — oar, board, roar!

Examples

d

Phonics Rule: Letter D

Sound“d”·/d/

The letter D makes the /d/ sound, like in 'dog', 'day', and 'dig'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.

D is a voiced alveolar stop. The tongue tip touches the ridge just behind the upper front teeth, then releases with voice. It reliably makes the /d/ sound in almost all positions.

Tip

D is for dog — and dog starts with /d/!

Examples

What is SnapPhonics?

A phonics reference for teachers, parents and learners. Every English word, broken into the sounds that make it — with audio, syllables, and the rule behind each spelling.

Save words to study lists, build flashcard decks, and scan your own worksheets and books.